


They're Going to Be Okay

by mikeythemage



Series: Blood and Paper [1]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Adoption, Best Friends, Car Accidents, Cause his friends/family love him, Crying, Family Bonding, Family Dinners, Family Feels, Foster Kid Tubbo, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Non-graphic character death, Self-Blame, Sleepy Bois Inc Angst, Sleepy Bois Inc as Family, Spans over Several Years, Techno and Wilbur Are Good Big Brothers, Tommy Can Be A Dick, Tommy and Tubbo are best friends, but its okay, phil is a good dad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-17 08:40:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28722273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikeythemage/pseuds/mikeythemage
Summary: "I want four boys." was what Kristen had said when she and Phil first got married. Phil laughed, thinking she was joking, but she had a spark in her eyes that told him she wasn't. She wanted four boys, and though Phil wasn't entirely sure he could handle that, he loved her too much to say no.
Relationships: Dave | Technoblade & Wilbur Soot, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Niki | Nihachu/Wilbur Soot (Implied), Ph1LzA | Phil Watson/Kristen Watson | Ph1LzA's Wife (briefly), Sleepy Boys Inc. & Tubbo, Toby Smith | Tubbo & Wilbur Soot & Technoblade & TommyInnit & Phil Watson, Tommyinnit & Toby Smith | Tubbo
Series: Blood and Paper [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2105607
Comments: 32
Kudos: 820





	They're Going to Be Okay

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Squidge_06](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Squidge_06/gifts).



"I want four boys." was what Kristen had said when she and Phil first got married. Phil laughed, thinking she was joking, but she had a spark in her eyes that told him she wasn't. She wanted four boys, and Phil though wasn't entirely sure he could handle that, he loved her too much to say no. 

They had Techno first. He was quiet, but rambunctious. Never backing down from a challenge, which was nice but also extremely hard to manage because to Techno, _everything_ was a challenge. From who could get dressed the fastest, to who could make it to the end of the road last. It made keeping his grades up easy on them, though. He never had many friends, but they were never worried. He seemed to work better alone.

Wilbur was second. He was definitely less quiet, although definitely soft-spoken. He had an affinity for music, constantly making sounds on any surface he could (which was annoying, but once they had gotten him a proper guitar it was fine). He liked to joke around with Techno, which the older absolutely hated, and seemed to have a natural talent for making friends with anyone that looked in his general direction

Tommy was the last, and loudest, of the three. Everything was a joke that Tommy could exploit somehow. From Phil's cooking, to Wilbur's hair. Techno got most of the jokes, which Phil had worried was out of genuine contempt but later realized was just Tommy trying to get his brother's attention. He had small trouble making friends, saying that most people found him annoying, but he seemed to enjoy his family more than anyone else.

And then it happened.

It was two weeks before Tommy's sixth birthday when it happened. Kristen had been on her way from the store with Tommy's final gift when a Semi-Truck that had lost control rammed into the side of the car at an intersection. According to the autopsy report, she died on impact. In a weird, twist way, Phil was glad that she didn't suffer in her final moments.

Phil took it hard. Incredibly hard. Obviously, it was his wife. The love of his life. His High-school sweetheart. And she was gone. His nights in the room were spent alone in silent tears until one, or all, of his sons came into the room asking to spend the night with him. He always said yes.

Techno was even quieter than usual. Something you couldn't notice if you weren't close to him, but painfully obvious to all of them by his lack of snarky commentary whenever Tommy said something factually incorrect, or when Wilbur tripped on his own feet. The only thing Phil ever heard the fourteen year old say was quiet 'goodmornings' and the yelling that came whenever he was playing a game and kept messing up a level. 

Wilbur spent most of his time writing music, sometimes taking a break to make Tommy a snack or watch T.V. Phil never interrupted him when he heard the quiet notes of his guitar, the deep sighs that came whenever he couldn't figure out what lyrics to write. Kristen's death hit him hard, but out of the three of his sons he was the easiest to console whenever he was in a mood. Not to say it didn't affect him, but he seemed to be the best with his emotions. Ironic, considering he was only twelve.

Tommy took it the worst out of the boys. There were no jokes. No screaming in the mornings about a bird he say outside his window. No pitter patter of his little feet down the hall. No giggling at Wilbur walking into the living room with his hair sticking in ever direction. No asking Techno if he could show him how to use a sword. No begging his brothers to play Mario Kart with him. Nothing. Complete and utter silence.

Phil tried his best to get Tommy to laugh. To make a joke. To say _anything_ _at_ _all_. Nothing seemed to work. It was seven months of complete silence on Tommy's part.

And then it wasn't anymore.

It was late one night, if Phil had to guess it was a quarter past four in the morning, when Tommy shuffled into his room. Phil sat up quickly, turning on his bedside lamp.

"Tommy?" He'd asked, "What's wrong?"

Tommy broke into loud sobs, which startled Phil so bad he barely even registered when the blonde ran to his bed and buried his head into the blankets or when Wilbur and Techno appeared in the doorway, concern written on their faces. 

"I'm sorry!" Tommy said through his tears, causing Phil to raise his eyebrows in concern.

"What are you sorry for, little moth?"

Tommy looked up at the nickname, one that Kristen had given him, in quiet shock for a few moments before his sobs returned. His face was contorted as snot ran down his nose and his breathing stuttered. Phil picked the boy up, setting him in his lap and motioning for Wilbur and Techno to come in.

Tommy cried into Phil's chest for a while. All three of them were silent, but Techno reached over and rubbed his back in a comforting gesture and Wilbur gripped his hand. It was hard to watch. Tommy rarely cried, and even when he did it was never this hard. This had obviously been building up for months.

Eventually, the sobbing subsided a bit, enough for him to speak, and he said, "It's my fault."

Phil looked down at his youngest for a few moments before it clicked and his face shifted into understanding, "Oh, Tommy, no. No, It's not your fault."

"It is! She was... She was getting my present so it's my fault and now you guys hate me! I'm sorry!"

The tears start to fall again as his eldest sons seem to finally catch on to what their brother is saying. Wilbur takes Tommy from Phil, holding him in a hug that Techno quickly joins in on.

"Tommy," Wilbur says in a whisper that Phil barely picks up on, "I promise you it isn't your fault. It'll never be your fault, okay? Don't you ever think that it's your fault."

"Seriously." Techno's monotone voice cuts in, "This will never be your fault, Tommy. Ever."

"But-"

"No, Tommy." He continues, "Was it mom's fault that it happened?"

"...No."

"Was it the truck drivers fault that the breaks stopped working?" Wilbur asks.

"No."

Techno nods as Phil cuts in, "Was it the store's fault for not having your gift until that day?"

"No."

"Then it isn't your fault either, weirdo." Wilbur says with a small laugh. "And if you ever say that it is again I'll ask Techno to put you in a headlock for half an hour."

"And you know that I'll do it." Techno releases them from the hug, "Besides, I can't hate you. If I ever hated you, then there would have to be something wrong with me."

Tommy is silent for a bit, pushing away from Wilbur to make eye contact with Techno, his eyes red and puffy, "There already is something wrong with you." he says. Wilbur turns away to hide his smile, shoulders shaking with laughter as Techno looks at Tommy in slight disbelief before tackling him into a tickle attack.

Tommy starts screaming at Techno to let him go through his laughter, to which the older simply says "Sorry, what did you say? Something's wrong with me, I can't hear you". Tommy ends up kicking Techno in the ribs, to which he smacks Tommy in the chest, and suddenly they're in a wrestling match with Wilbur commentating.

Phil watches the scene in front of him with a smile, all three of his boys with genuine smiles on their faces, and really believes it when he thinks to himself for the first time since Kristen died that they're going to be okay.

* * *

It was a week before Tommy's twelfth birthday when he came home with a huge smile on his face. Techno had moved out about a year ago, something that Tommy was still slightly bitter about, but he's staying with them for Tommy's birthday week (as per Tommy's request). Phil can't help his knee jerk reaction to think that he's about to get a call from the school, but then Tommy sits down in front of him and starts rambling.

"I met this kid today name Tubbo, and I told him it was a weird name because it is, and I know that you would say that's rude but you've got to admit it's quite a weird name." He says, and Phil is slightly shocked there isn't more. Normally when Tommy sits down in front of him and starts talking, he's there for hours. Not that Phil is complaining, he's glad that at least one of his son's still likes to take the time out of their day to talk with their dad.

"Really?" Phil asks, and Tommy nods.

"Yeah. The teacher told me to not be rude, but I was just telling the truth. Tubbo said it was okay though cause he got it a lot, and then I felt kind of bad so I asked him if he played video games and he said yeah. And I was like 'oh cool, which ones?', and he was like..." Phil was sat there listening to what was likely forty minutes of conversation between the two boys in their English class for the next five hours.

Phil wasn't sure how to feel. Tommy had never really had a person he'd talked about for this long, besides the numerous amounts of girls that he _totally_ had game with at school (that were never even named), so it was odd in that regard, but Tommy had also never had someone that he said he wanted to be friends with right out the gate. It was always 'He's cool, but I'm not sure we'd be good friends' or 'we wouldn't have much to talk about', but here he is, sat right in front of Phil, asking 'How am I supposed to talk to him tomorrow, dad?'.

Phil, in the simplest of terms, is shocked.

"Why don't you invite him to your birthday party on Saturday?" Phil suggest, taking a sip of his tea.

Tommy looks at him like he's the stupidest man alive.

"Oh, yeah, that'll go over well." Tommy puts on a fake, overly cheerful smile, "'Hey, Tubbo, I know I called your name weird yesterday but I also think you're kind of cool, want to come to my birthday on Saturday'?" His face drops back into his 'are you an idiot' expression, "Great idea, dad. Truly superb. Are you sure you aren't the second coming of Einstein?"

Phil sighs, "What did I do to deserve three sons that do nothing but sass me?"

Wilbur walks into the kitchen, his guitar on his back, "Is Tommy sarcastically giving you compliments again?" he asks, opening the fridge.

Tommy lights up at the sound of Wilbur's voice, turning to him, "Wil! Dad thinks I should invite this guy Tubbo to my birthday on Saturday."

Wilbur's nose scrunches up as he grabs a yoghurt, "Tubbo? That's a weird fucking name."

"Our older brother is named Techno."

"Fair point." he says, opening the yoghurt and grabbing a spoon, "Also, you should invite him if you're friends with him."

Tommy groans, "That's the issue! We aren't friends!"

Wilbur raises an eyebrow, "Then why'd dad suggest it?" he asks around his spoon.

"Because Tommy _wants_ to be his friend but doesn't know how to ask."

"Dude! Don't just out me like that!" Tommy shrieks as Wilbur laughs.

"So, let me get this straight," the brunette says, placing his yoghurt on the counter, "You want to be his friend, which you would have to invite him to your birthday party to make official, but you won't invite him to your birthday party because you aren't friends?"

Tommy is silent before standing up and walking to his bedroom.

Tubbo is at their house by noon on Saturday.

* * *

"You never tell me about your parents." Tommy says to Tubbo out of the blue one day. They're sat in his room, working on a random French project they need to pass the semester, and Tubbo can't help but look surprised.

"I mean you never really asked?" Tubbo says.

Tommy nods a bit, "Yeah, and I'm starting to realize that's a bit of a dick move. I mean, we've known each other for what? Four years, and I never bothered to ask."

"Tommy it's okay, really. You don't have to ask."

"Shut the fuck up. Tell me about your parents. What are they like?"

Tubbo furrows his brow. He loves Tommy, he's his best friend after all, but sometimes he focuses on something and refuses to let it go. Like how he kept asking him why he was taking French even though he's dyslexic for three weeks and wouldn't stop until Tubbo admitted it was because he wanted to take the class with him. "You really want to know?"

Tommy nods frantically, and Tubbo can only sigh.

"Alright. I don't know what my parents are like."

Tommy is the one who furrows his brow this time, "What?"

"I'm a foster kid, Tommy. Did you... seriously not know?"

Judging by the blondes shocked expression, he seriously did not.

"Wow, okay then. Uhm... I guess I never brought it up."

"You most certainly fucking did not!"

"Jesus, okay! Sorry! But yeah, I am."

Tommy lays back on his bed, resting his hands on his stomach as he stares at the ceiling, "I thought you said you had sisters?"

Tubbo runs a hand through his hair, setting down his pencil. This is what they're talking about now, apparently. "I do. They just got adopted the first few years we were put in the system."

"Oh." Is all that Tommy says. "Sorry."

"It's fine. Now can we get back to French homework?"

"Yeah, sorry."

Later that night, at dinner, Tommy asks, "Did you know that Tubbo was in the foster system?"

Phil raises a brow, "No. I did not."

Tommy just nods, looking down at his food, and he doesn't mention it again. Phil can't stop thinking about it.

* * *

Tommy is in a bit of a mood today. It's the week before his sixteenth birthday. He knows why he's in a mood today. He knows. God, he knows all too well. He knows that his dad knows. He knows that Wilbur and Techno know (considering they decided to 'come home and visit' them at the same time out of 'pure coincidence' they swear). He knows that they all know, and he knows that they understand why he's pissy today.

Tubbo, however, does not know.

"Yo, hand over your English homework so I can copy it." Tubbo asks as he sits down next to Tommy at their usual morning spot.

Tommy rolls his eyes, "What? Too lazy to do it yourself?"

Tubbo falters, looking at Tommy with a hint of confusion, "Dude, what? You always let me copy your English homework."

"Maybe you need to start doing it yourself. I'm not gonna be here forever."

"Stop being a dick." Tubbo says, "Seriously, I'm not sure who fucking died today but you don't have to be such an ass."

Tommy stands up and walks away without another word. Tubbo's numerous text messages go unread, as well. As he walks into the house, still pissed, he's met with Wilbur and Techno standing in the opening hallway with their arms crossed over their chests.

"...What the fuck?"

"What did you do to Tubbo?" Techno asks, glaring at him.

"Nothing!"

Wilbur raises a brow, "Seriously? He called us asking what he did wrong to make you mad at him in _tears_ because you _didn't_ do anything to him?"

Tommy's bad mood falls away in an instant. "What?"

"Yeah, man. I don't know what you did to him that was so bad he's on the verge of a whole panic attack, but you should probably apologize. I know you're upset today, we all are, but Tubbo doesn't deserve that man. Ten year anniversary of... you know what, or not."

Tommy runs a hand through his hair. "Shit. I know what happened. I... fuck. Okay. I'll call him."

"Yeah," Techno says as Tommy pushes past him to run to his room, "Do that. Oh, and Phil has a question for you after dinner."

His phone barely rings once before he's met with Tubbo's frantic talking and Tommy immediately feels like someone whose shot a puppy, "Oh my God, Tommy, I'm so sorry! I don't know what I did to make you pissed at me, but I'm sorry! Please tell me what I did wrong so I can apologize properly!"

"Tubbo, no, you didn't do anything wrong." Tommy says, running a hand down his face with a sigh.

"But you-"

"I know. I know. I just... today's not a great day for me, and that's not really an excuse so I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for being such an ass."

Tubbo is quiet, the sound of him sniffling quietly on the other end making Tommy feel even worse, "Okay. Apology accepted. But can you tell me what's really wrong?"

Tommy sighs, "You know how I always tell you random bullshit that isn't true whenever you ask about my mom?" Tubbo hums on the other line, "Yeah, well, that's because I just... I don't really like telling people what actually happened to her. And I should have told you by now because you're my only... you're my _best_ friend, but I just didn't want to because I felt like it would change how you look at me and." he buries his head into his arm where it rests on his knees.

"Tommy, whatever it is I promise you that it won't change a thing. Whatever happens, you're still Tommy. You can trust m-"

"She's dead, Tubbo."

Silence. Defeaning silence. It could last for minutes, although it was likely only a few seconds, but Tommy feels like he's choking on it as tears threaten to fall. He's never really said it out loud. In ten years, he's never said it out loud.

"Holy shit, Tommy."

"Yeah." He says, voice wavering slightly, "Ten years ago to the day. It was... it was a car crash. She was getting my birthday present."

"I'm coming over." Is the last thing Tommy hears before the line goes dead. Tubbo is Tommy's bedroom in fifteen minutes flat, listening to Tommy as he tells him about her through tears. 

Tommy thinks its the closest he's ever felt to him.

Dinner is better. Tubbo was ~~forced~~ asked to stay _very_ politely by all four of the Watson's, and Tommy is back to his usual self. No one mentions the tear stains that are clear as day on Tommy's cheeks (and Techno doesn't bother making fun of Tommy for the fact that he walked in on he and Tubbo hugging).

Tubbo is halfway through trying to explain why French is easier to write than English (something Tommy will never understand) when Phil speaks up, "Tommy, I was gonna ask you something and since Tubbo is here too it actually makes it a little easier."

Tommy turns to his dad with a raised brow, looking at Techno and Wilbur who are smirking at each other knowingly, and he feels dread pile up along side suspicion. He shares a glance with Tubbo, who also looks slightly alarmed, "Okay..."

Phil laughs, "Jesus, boys, it's nothing bad!"

"I do not trust that for a second." Tommy says, to which Tubbo nods in agreement.

"Yeah, I think you guys are great but you do like to prank us sometimes."

Wilbur kicks Tommy under the table, "Shut up, nerd, you'll like this."

"Probably." Techno mumbles ominously.

"Oh my God, just say you sold me to One Direction already so we can get this over with."

The table erupts into laughter at the joke, although Techno does nothing but smile slightly, before Phil leaves the kitchen and returns with a stack of papers. Tommy raises an eyebrow, looking over at Tubbo whose eyes are blown wide. At least one of them knows what those papers are.

"Phil." Tubbo says, still staring at the papers in disbelief. "Phil, you're joking. You can't be serious, right? Like, this is a joke? I'm being pranked?" Phil just gives him a fond smile.

"I've been thinking about this quite a lot, recently. Ever since Tommy told me that you were in the foster system." The pieces finally fall together in Tommy's head.

"Holy shit, dad." Tommy mumbles.

"And I got to wondering about the process of adopting a child, so I looked it up out of curiosity and I found out that teenagers don't get adopted as much. And then I started thinking of you, and how you're a teenager. And then I got mad because, and I mean this from the bottom of my heart, you are one of the best people I know. You're sweet, and funny, and incredibly caring. I mean, you came over to comfort Tommy even though he was being a dick to you today. But you're a teenager in the foster system. So you're less likely to get adopted. And I know that you're going to be a legal adult in two years but... I figured that it's better late than never, right?"

Tubbo is crying. He's not a loud crier, considering Tommy didn't realize he was crying until he look over at him, but he's crying, "Phil I... I can't accept-"

"Bull-fucking-shit!" Tommy interrupts, startling everyone at the table, "Tubbo, you're my best friend and basically my brother, but if you say no I will strangle you to death with no remorse."

Phil shakes his head at his youngest with a smile before turning back to Tubbo, "You're my son in everything but blood and paper, Tubbo. Why not make it everything but blood?"

Tubbo turns to Wilbur who nods frantically with a huge grin on his face. Then he turns to Techno, who motions to the papers with his head. Then to Tommy, who is practically vibrating in his seat from excitement. And then, finally, to Phil, who slides the papers and a pen over to him with a fond smile.

Tubbo smiles back as the tears fall.

Why not, indeed?

* * *

Graduation day was insane for the simple fact that Techno brought a _literal_ _flamethrower_ to set off when Tommy and Tubbo's names were called. Tommy had excitedly been rambling on about how they were going to be going on right after one another, which was basically together, and Techno had ominously said something along the lines of 'that'll make my plan easier'. It didn't help that all of Wilbur's friends (Schlatt, Alex, Fundy, Clay, George, Nick, and like eight other people) decided to bring literal _**illegal** **fireworks**_ to set off after they threw their caps into the air.

The Watson's and anyone affiliated with them may or may not be banned from campus for the rest of eternity (and Techno may or may not have Community Service), but they've all graduated anyways so it's fine.

"Who the fuck brings a flamethrower to graduation?" Wilbur asks from the front seat, Techno having been banished to sit with the graduates in the back because of his stunt.

"Who serenades the girl they like with an acoustic version of Sad by Bo Burnham?"

Wilbur flushes, like he always does when Niki is brought up, "Fuck off, it worked!"

Tommy laughs, "I still can't believe you took that advice!"

Tubbo laughs as well, but punches Tommy in the arm, "You're the asshole who thought a simp wouldn't take any advice thrown at him!"

"I am not a simp!"

"Simp! Simp! Simp!" Techno chants, his two youngest brothers joining in as Wilbur groans and covers his ears to tune them out.

Phil looks at them all with a smile through the rearview mirror before putting his attention back on the road. As they pass the graveyard, he can't help but think about how Kristen got her four boys, even if she doesn't know it. He also wonders what sarcastic remark she would make knowing that, for once, he was right.

They really did do okay.

**Author's Note:**

> This was so bad but I felt the need to share it so like... I hope you enjoyed?


End file.
